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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. current — of water
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cold — an illness
  16. current — happening now
  17. roll — a list
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — electric
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com